Wire-tightening device.



H. H. LAMPERT.

WIRE TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ON. 30. ms.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

in position thereon. Fig. 2 is nn'r sans ATENT FFIQ.

HENRY I-I. LAMPERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-TIGHTENING DEVICE.

Application filed October 30, 1915.

wire and temporarily holding it taut; to.

provide an improved arrangement of the parts of such device so that whenshifted to take up the slack they will be self-locking in theirpositions for holding the wire taut; and to provide a simple andinexpensive device of this kind particularly adapted for use intightening and holding wires used in assembling concrete molds.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

I Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a concrete mold showing thetightening device an enlarged front elevation of the device. Fig. 3 isan enlarged transverse sectional detail taken on the line A-A of Fig. 2.Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of the device. p

In the form shown in the drawings, the

device comprises a support or base plate 1,

having lugs 2 and 3 integrally formed thereon at diagonally oppositecorners, and having levers 4 and 5 fulcrumed to said lugs by means ofpins 6 and 7 so as to swing in planes perpendicular to the plate 1.

Transversely disposed lugs S and 9 are formed in pairs on the opposedfaces of the levers 4 and 5 so as to provide open-sided slots 10 forreceiving the wire 11 which is to be tightened. Open-ended guide slots12 are formed at opposite sides of the plate 1 by means of lugs 13 and14 in position to ap proximately aline with the slots 10 of therespective levers when in released position. The pivotand lugs 8 and 9on each lever are so arranged with respect to the slots 12 that when thelever is shifted from the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig.3, to that indicated in full outline, the wire between the shoulder 12and the lugs is moved across the axis of the pivot as it is ti htened.The tension on the wire therefci re locks the lever in its shiftedposition Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 58,786.

and the wire is held perfectly taut until such time as the lever isshifted back to the first mentioned position.

WVhen devices of this kind are arranged with two levers, the levers maybe pivoted at opposite sides of the plate, as shown in Figs.

v2 and 3, or they may be pivoted at the same side of the plate. Thedevice may also be arranged with a single lever, as shown in Fig. 4:, inwhich case the guideslot 12 for the wire 11 extends in a considerabledistance from one edge of the plate 1. As will be observed from thefigure, the same action takes place, as explained in the previousparagraph.

The device is designed particularly for use I in tightening wires usedin concrete mold construction, and is intended to be used for tighteningthe wires and temporarily holding them while the mold is being filledand during the time it is being allowed to set.

The device is used in the following manner: The plate 1 is set upagainst a post 15 or other member of a mold with the levers L and 5shifted into positions wherein the slots 10 and 12 are in alinement. Oneend of the wire 11 is then inserted into'the slot 10 (formed by the lugs8 and 9) on the lever 4 and the other end of the wire 11 is set in theslot 10 on the lever 5, as illustrated in the figures. The free ends ofthe wire are then bent over the lugs 8 so as to lie along the handle inposition to be grasped by the same hand which grasps the handle. Thelevers 4 and 5 are then thrown to the opposite sides of their fulcrums,drawing the Wire taut. As each lever is swung, the strain of the wire 11is shifted across the pivot or fulcrum, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4,so that the wire firmly holds and locks the levers in their shiftedpositions. \Vhen the plate is to be removed, the levers & and 5 areswung into their initial positions and the wires are released by pushingthem sidewise out of the open-sided slots. The square shoulders on thelugs at each end of the slots 10 prevent slipping of the wires duringthe act of tautening them, and the open slots 10 and 12 permit thedevice to be conveniently engaged and disengaged with the wires.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims. 7

I claim 1. A device of the class described, comprising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said plate, andmeans on said lever for gripping a wire and arranged to move that partof the wire which is adjacent thereto across the axis of said fulcrum,when said lever is swung to tighten the wire.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said .plate, ashoulder located inwardly of said fulcrum, and means on said lever forgripping a Wire and arranged so that when said lever is swung fortightening the wire, the part of the wire between said means and saidshoulder will be moved across the axis ofsaid fulcrum.

3. A device of'the class described, comprising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said plate, ashoulder on said plate at one side of said fulcrum, and means on saidlever for gripping a wire arranged so that when said lever is swung tothe opposite side of said fulcrum for tightening the wire, that partthereof between said means and shoulder will be moved across the axis ofsaid fulcrum.

4:- A device of the class described, com prising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said plate, saidlever having a slot formed therein to grip a wire and arranged sothatthat part of the wire which is adjacent thereto is moved across theaxis of said fulcrum when said lever is swung for tight ening the wire.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said plate, saidlever having an open-sided slot formed therein to grip a wire andarranged so that that part of the wire which is adjacent thereto ismoved across the axis of said fulcrum when'said lever is swung fortightening the wire.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a plate, a leverfulcrumed thereon to swing in a plane perpendicular to said plate, and apair of lugs overhanging said fulcrum and providing a slot for grippinga wire, said lugs being arranged so that that part of the wire which isadjacent thereto is moved across the axis of said fulcrum when saidlever is swung for tightening the wire.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a plate, a lug formed atone side of said plate, a guide for a Wire formed at the other side ofsaid plate, a lever fulcrumed on said lug so as to swing in a planeperpendicular to said plate, means on said lever for gripping a wire,

arranged relative to said fulcrum so as to have the wire attachedthereto when said lever is on one side of said plate and move sa1d Wireacross the axis of said fulcrum when said lever is shifted to theopposite said means being side of said plate so as to lock saidlever insaid shifted position.

8 A device of prising a plate, a posite sides of said plate, on saidlugs and shiftable from each other in parallel planes perpendicular tosaid plate, means on each of said levers for gripping wires, each ofsaid means being arranged relative to the respective fulcrums so as ,togrip the Wires on the outside of said fulcrums when said levers areshifted away from each other and move said wires across said fulcrumswhen said levers are shifted toward each other.

levers fulcrumed Signed at Chicago this 28th day of October, 1915.

HENRY H. LAMPERT.

the class described, com pair of lugs located at op toward and away.

copies of this patent inay be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner'of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. I i

